Josep Borrell, the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief, on Monday accused Israel of causing famine in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war. Speaking at the opening of a conference on humanitarian aid for Gaza in Brussels, Borrell stated, “In Gaza, we are not on the brink of famine; we are in the midst of a famine that thousands of people are suffering from.” He emphasized that using famine as a weapon of war is unacceptable and that Israel is causing the famine.
Additionally, Borrell expressed confidence that the EU would agree on Monday to impose sanctions on both Hamas and Israeli settlers who engage in violence in the West Bank. Diplomats mentioned that the EU is close to reaching an agreement on imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank, after Hungary indicated it would stop opposing the move. Despite the focus on Hamas’s cross-border attack from Gaza on Israel, European officials also expressed concern about escalating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
EU member states have found it challenging to agree on imposing sanctions on perpetrators of violence, even as the US and the UK have taken such measures. Some EU member states close to Israel, like Germany and Austria, have shown readiness to approve sanctions on violent settlers after imposing further sanctions on Hamas.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that Gaza faces famine, which is unacceptable, and called for a swift ceasefire agreement to facilitate the release of prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 31,726 Palestinians have been killed, and 73,792 others injured in the Israeli attack on the territory since October 7, with about 81 Palestinians killed and 116 others injured in the past 24 hours.
